Resentment Grows Among Thousands of Families
Promises made by the government to the people of Punjab three years ago have yet to be fulfilled, leaving thousands of families feeling deceived. The entire issue centers on the applications invited by the government from interested families regarding the allotment of 9,422 new ration depots across Punjab. It is worth recalling that during the recent Budget Session for 2026, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema made a major announcement promising the speedy issuance of licenses for new ration depots to the residents of Punjab; however, despite this assurance, not a single family has received a ration depot thus far.
Notably, the government had invited applications from interested families across all 23 districts of Punjab for the allotment of ration depots, a process conducted in three distinct phases. In the first phase, the number of ration depots was set at 1,201; in the second phase—on April 22, 2023—this figure was increased to 6,061; and in the third and final phase—on May 7, 2025—the government once again raised the total number of ration depots to 9,422. During this final phase, the government issued a notification regarding the allotment of these new depots to families belonging to various categories and social groups. Consequently, all the aforementioned families duly completed the entire procedural formalities and submitted their comprehensive application files to the office of the Department of Food and Supplies. These files have now, perhaps, gathered dust over time, while the applicants—who had pinned their hopes and dreams on securing a ration depot as a means of generating employment and livelihood for their families and children—have grown weary from the endless wait.
**Allocation of Ration Depots by Category**
**Category** **Number**
General 3848
S.C. (Scheduled Castes) 792
B.C. (Backward Classes) 231
Freedom Fighters: 898
Persons with Disabilities: 402
Ex-Servicemen: 1174
Women: 322
Victims of Terrorism/Riots: 1755 — How many depots were allocated to each district?
District | Number
Jalandhar: 1026
Patiala: 996
Ludhiana: 757
Amritsar: 692
Hoshiarpur: 645
Kapurthala: 567
Gurdaspur: 563
Ropar: 480
Mohali: 464
Fazilka: 403
Fatehgarh Sahib: 338
Moga: 325
Pathankot: 308
Ferozepur: 304
S.B.S. Nagar: 291
Tarn Taran: 236
Sangrur: 224
Mansa: 220
Sri Muktsar Sahib: 171
Barnala: 165
Faridkot: 135
Malerkotla: 112
Bathinda: 000
Total: 9422
District-wise statistics of ration depots allocated to women
District | Count
Jalandhar: 35
Gurdaspur: 34
Patiala: 30
Hoshiarpur: 23
Fazilka: 18
Ferozepur: 17
Pathankot: 17
Sri Muktsar Sahib: 17
Barnala: 16
Ropar: 16
Kapurthala: 16
Ludhiana: 15
Tarn Taran: 15
Moga: 15
Fatehgarh Sahib: 12
Amritsar: 10
Mohali: 08
S.B.S. Nagar: 06
Sangrur: 05
Mansa: 02
Malerkotla: 02
Faridkot: 01
Bathinda: — 00
Total Count 322
